=  NOW 40 WPM  =  
ENCLOSURE SEE FIGURE 1.  THIS ARRANGEMENT ALLOWS THE RADIO TO LIE
FLAT, ALTHOUGH IT CAN ALSO STAND ON EDGE.  THERE IS EVEN A THREADED
HOLE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE THAT WILL ALLOW THE 705 TO BE ATTACHED TO A
TRIPOD.  THERE IS A MICRO USB PORT FOR COMPUTER COMMUNICATION MORE
ABOUT THIS LATER.  THE IC 705 BATTERY CAN ALSO BE CHARGED THROUGH
THIS PORT, IF YOU DESIRE.  I CONNECTED IT TO ONE OF MY HEFTIER USB
POWER MODULES AND NOTICED THAT IT TOOK ABOUT 3 HOURS TO FULLY CHARGE
AN EX PRODUCT REVIEW ICOM IC 705 HF/VHF/UHF MULTIMODE PORTABLE
TRANSCEIVER THERES NO QUESTION THAT PORTABLE OPERATING IS ON THE
RISE.  AWARD PROGRAMS, SUCH AS SUMMITS ON THE AIR SOTA, PARKS ON THE
AIR POTA, AND WORLDWIDE FLORA AND FAUNA WWFF, HAVE FUELED A
SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN ACTIVITY.  EVEN ON WEEKDAYS, ITS COMMON TO
FIND MINI PILEUPS ON THE BANDS AS PORTABLE OPERATORS, OR ACTIVATORS,
SET UP STATIONS IN PARKS AND ON MOUNTAINTOPS.  RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED
BY THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC HAVENT DAMPENED ENTHUSIASM.  AFTER ALL, IT
IS RELATIVELY EASY TO TAKE TRANSCEIVERS TO PARKS AND SUMMITS WITHOUT
RUNNING AFOUL OF SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES.  YOU JUST CONNECT YOUR
GEAR, DEPLOY AN ANTENNA, AND GET ON THE AIR.  WHEN CHASERS OPERATORS
TRYING TO MAKE CONTACTS WITH YOU BECOME AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE, YOU
CAN SUDDENLY FIND YOURSELF SORTING THROUGH A MOB OF CALLERS.
IMPROVING CONDITIONS ON THE HF BANDS BODE WELL FOR LOW POWER
STATIONS.  SOLAR CYCLE 25 IS UNDER WAY.  IN THE COMING MONTHS AND
YEARS, CONDITIONS WILL ONLY GET BETTER ON 15, 12, AND 10 METERS.
WITH THE DEBUT OF THE IC 705, ICOM SEEMS TO BE POSITIONING ITSELF TO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PORTABLE OPERATING SURGE.  IN A COMPACT 2 1/4
POUND PACKAGE THAT YOU CAN CARRY IN ONE HAND, ICOM HAS CREATED A
TRANSCEIVER CAPABLE OF OPERATING ON ALL HF BANDS, PLUS VHF AND UHF,
IN ANY MODE YOURE LIKELY TO NEED INCLUDING D STAR DIGITAL VOICE.
THE IC 705 OFFERS 5 W OUTPUT WHEN POWERED BY ITS INTERNAL BATTERY,
AND 10 W WHEN USING AN EXTERNAL 13R8 V DC SUPPLY.  THE BATTERY
SUPPLIED WITH THE 705 IS A 7R4 V/ 1,880 MAH LITHIUM ION PACK.  AN
OPTIONAL 3,150 MAH BATTERY IS AVAILABLE AS WELL.  ALTHOUGH THE IC
705 IS BEING MARKETED AS A PORTABLE TRANSCEIVER, ITS WORTH NOTING
THAT THIS RADIO IS PERFECTLY FINE AS A HOME STATION TRANSCEIVER, IF
YOURE USING IT WITH AN EFFECTIVE ANTENNA SYSTEM.  OUTSIDE OF MY POTA
ACTIVITY SEE THE SIDEBAR, PARKS ON THE AIR WITH THE IC 705, I USED
THE IC 705 AT HOME WITH AN HF DIPOLE ANTENNA AND A VHF/UHF GROUND
PLANE.  NEITHER ARE GAIN ANTENNAS, YET I ENJOYED SURPRISING SUCCESS,
PARTICULARLY WITH CW AND DIGITAL MODES.  SDR WITH A TWIST AT FIRST
GLANCE, THE IC 705 LOOKS LIKE A MINIATURIZED VERSION OF THE POPULAR
IC 7300 TRANSCEIVER.  THE TOUCHSCREEN IS PROMINENT, AS IT IS IN THE
IC 7300, AND THE FRONT PANEL LAYOUT IS SIMILAR IN APPEARANCE.
HOWEVER, THE COMPARISON LARGELY ENDS THERE.  WHILE THE IC 705 IS A
SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO SDR, IT IMPLEMENTS THIS TECHNOLOGY IN A
MANNER THAT IS A DEPARTURE FROM THE IC 7300.  LIKE THE IC 7300, THE
IC 705 SAMPLES INCOMING SIGNALS AS CLOSE AS
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